


The Five Stages of Breaking Up With Your Girlfriend

by starkovs



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10657341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkovs/pseuds/starkovs
Summary: Prompt: "If you take requests, can u pls do a riarkle fic where lucas realizes how perfect Farkle and Riley are for each other?" – anon





	The Five Stages of Breaking Up With Your Girlfriend

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this for RFFnet. This was relatively short and sweet, and also I may have written it at 1 am in an hour.
> 
> Enjoy this mumbly jumbly mess of Lucas realizing things.

**Stage I**

They’re in the middle of history class and Lucas can’t look away.

Farkle and Riley are in the front, debating over god knows what and Lucas can’t stop just staring at them. And he doesn’t understand why. He’s usually really great at paying attention in class. Even with his girlfriend of a year in the class with him, he’s always been tuned into Mr. Matthews’s lessons. Yet, for some reason, when it’s both his girlfriend and one of his best friends up on podium, he can’t stop simply studying them. 

They’re firing off of each other and it baffles him how easily they’re able to simply bounce from one point to the next. Even when they’re arguing. Their words flow so smoothly together; it’s like they’re on the same team, even though their viewpoints are completely different from one another’s. 

Mr. Matthews congratulates them both, before announcing that Riley is the winner. They both sit down next to each other in their respective seats and Farkle gives Riley a look that Lucas can’t fully decipher. And yet, Riley smiles back knowingly.

When the bell rings, Lucas waits for Riley to pack up her stuff, while Farkle strides out of the room. She swings her backpack over her shoulders and connects her hand with Lucas’s. He waits for the butterflies in his stomach. And waits. And waits.

**Stage II**

They’re at Topanga’s, all six of them, when Lucas leaves to get ice cream for him and Riley. He plops next to his girlfriend, hands her a cone, and she coos with joy. Maya teases him about not getting her any, when Lucas sees Farkle’s face out of the corner of his eye.

His expression is flat and focused intently on Riley’s face. Lucas can see the slightest hint of frowning, but right when he begins to decipher it, it’s gone. 

Throughout the rest of the study session, Lucas keeps watching Farkle out of the corner of his eye. There’s only smiles on his lips for the rest of the gathering, but Lucas becomes certain of what he saw: longing.

When they’re about to leave, Farkle is talking about how sleep deprived he is when Riley strokes his face. His eyes widen at the initial contact, but he visibly relaxes into her palm. She’s teasing him about his lack of sleep, but also quietly insisting that he at least try to put down his beakers and get more rest.

Lucas races through his head, trying to pick up any conversations he’s had with her like that in the past year, but none appear.

**Stage III**

He realizes that they’ve been going through the motions for a long time. Every single day it’s the same process: they meet at school, exchange hellos, hold hands, blush, go to class, repeat, repeat, repeat. It starts to feel stale to him. He cares about her, he really does, but maybe that’s not enough anymore.

Except for today, something different happens. They’re walking through the hallway, holding hands, when Riley starts to speak.

“Do you ever think that maybe there’s something else out there waiting for us, but sometimes we don’t see it fully until it’s too late? And by then, it’s completely gone?”

The words catch him so off guard. It takes him a moment to digest what she says and at that point, she starts to shove the thought away.

“Sorry, I just brought that up out of nowhere. I don’t really know where that came from. I’m just being ridiculous right now-“

“No, you’re not,” Lucas replies firmly. He takes a gulp, as he processes his next words carefully. “I don’t think that anything is ever truly gone. And I don’t think we ever see anything fully until it’s the right time for us to see it fully. So, I guess I’m saying that it’s really never too late.”

Riley is studying their hands carefully. She glances up, still not quite looking at Lucas and asks, “Is it?”

When they continue to walk down the hallway, Lucas takes a minute to glance back over his shoulder, trying to find out what exactly caught her gaze. He sees a head of dark blond hair walk in the opposite direction and he knows. 

**Stage IV**

It’s when Farkle yells at him in the middle of Topanga’s that he realizes he knows. 

Zay, Farkle, and him just got back from a movie and were keen on picking up on some more food to fill their stomachs. They were waiting for their sandwiches and coffee, when Zay starts to talk about Maya’s upcoming art show.

“She’s so talented,” Lucas says. “I can’t wait to go see it. I’ve never met anyone so passionate about what they do. She’s really inspiring.” Zay and Farkle both nod their head in agreement.

“Man, I remember when you two were almost a thing,” Zay says. “Do you ever think about when all of that was boiling? And Farkle and Smackle were together still? Meanwhile, I was the perpetual third wheel.” They all laugh. 

There’s a beat of silence, before Lucas opens up, “Sometimes, I think how differently things might have been if I picked Maya.” Farkle visibly tenses, but Lucas pushes on anyway. “Like, how much differently that relationship was than the one I have Riley. And I still don’t think I ever understood my feelings for Maya and I don’t think I ever-“ 

“Shut up, Friar.”

The voice is riddled with darkness and it takes a moment for Lucas to register that it’s coming from Farkle. He’s eying Lucas with animosity. 

“What did I do?”

And he pours it out.

“Stop fucking leading Riley on if you still think you have feelings for Maya! You’re lying to Riley! We got into this whole mess because of you and we got out of it because you chose Riley, but it’s been over a year and you’re still dragging it on. And even worse, you’re going to hurt Riley!”

Lucas’s mouth hangs open. He forgot what Farkle looked like when he was angry and now it’s all too real to him. 

Farkle ends up leaving without a word, storming off into the New York City streets. Zay studies him as he walks away before commenting, “Well, looks like Farkle was getting all riled up on Riley’s behalf.” Dumbfounded, Lucas nods his head. 

**Stage V**

He breaks up with his girlfriend.

Well, technically, she breaks up with him, too.

He sweeps through her Bay Window in the middle of the day and he’s surprised when Maya isn’t there. It’s just her, sitting on her bed, looking reminiscent. She doesn’t seem shocked when he climbs into her bedroom, but instead, she looks prepared.

He sits next to her and they both say, “I think we need to break up.” Their eyes widen and they look at each other in awe.

“Well, that was easy,” Riley jokes and they both laugh.

And when he leaves that night, he takes all their memories of their childlike affection with him to give room for the friendship that remains between them. He spent months believing the stars had aligned for him and Riley, but maybe, it was something smaller than that. 

**The Aftermath – A Few Months Later**

They’re in the middle of a debate and Lucas can’t stop look away.

Farkle and Riley are in the front, debating over god knows what and Lucas can’t stop just staring at them. But this time, he knows why. 

When they leave the class that day, he watches as the two of them float around each other as they pick up their items. Right as they’re crossing through the doorway, their fingers intertwine and Lucas can’t help smiling. 

Riley and Farkle. It made sense.


End file.
